Friday!

[nsingman]

It's Friday afternoon, and the weather is looking ominous. Hopefully, if it does rain, it will be brief. I want to walk this afternoon!

Comments

[pieces2puzzle]

If Tim spends 2 months salary gross or net on an engagement ring for me I will slap him silly. Then again, he might like that...

[nsingman]

So it's a win/win proposition, then? Except for your savings, of course. :-)

[crasslass]

I have a feeling that the ridiculous "two month's salary" rule, was created by De Beers. Whatcha think?

[nsingman]

Perhaps, or perhaps the industry thought it would be a good idea. I have been curious about the origin of the notion, though. The industry has done some amazingly good marketing. What other pure luxury product is so popular among people of almost every socioeconomic class?

[tuatha242]

De Beers,awful..i won't wear a diamond because of that industry (unless it's a really old piece of family jewelry).I'm waiting for the artificial diamonds.My engagement ring has green tourmaline in it.

[nsingman]

Your ring sounds very pretty! I don't wear jewelry at all, and Connie seldom wears much, so it's a moot point for us. However, I don't blame you; I'm no fan of De Beers, for a number of reasons.

[arib]

I'd always heard it was three months worth.

[nsingman]

From other people, or print/online references? I've never seen anything but two months as the "standard." Perhaps promoting a new standard of three months will make two seem like a bargain. They're devilishly clever, those diamond industry wizards! :-)

[soundwave106]

It's all marketing in the end.

DeBeers is pretty evil. :P

[nsingman]

As I've noted above, I'm no fan of theirs. However, the fools are those of us who respond to the marketing. The whole wedding industry is pretty evil.

[classytart]

That 2 months rule terrifies me. The most expensive watch I've ever owned cost £40. Even if I end up without a millionaire (imagine!) and find someone on a low income, like £12 000 net a year (which is basically nothing: council tax on my flat is about £800 a year), two months is still £2000! (Impressed by my maths?) I don't like wearing rings anyway, but that, to me, is asking for trouble. If this imaginary husband could afford to spend even that one a useless ring, I think I'd try to trade it in for some £100 token, and an engagement car. :)

[nsingman]

When I started working, I actually earned less than £12 000 per year. Of course, that was in 1981, and Connie's engagement ring still cost less than two months pay. I earn a bit more now.

On the other hand, could you actually buy an engagement car for only £2000? :-)

[classytart]

Yeah, but there's 23 years' (a lifetime's!) worth of inflation in there. By cost-of-living standards you were probably still better off than what that means. Living here, sharing a city centre flat, or living in a small flat a little further out, you'd spend more than a third of that on housing and council tax, then there are utilities bills... it works out about the same as a student loan, which is a pittance.

No, you couldn't get a worthy car for £2000. But my millionaire will be bringing in enough for a very nice engagement car. Maybe a Bentley Continental GT.

[nsingman]

That is a lot of inflation, but I think I'm still ahead (even if my expenses have grown more than commensurately). :-)

Are flat rentals very dear there? I know that they're expensive to purchase, but I thought rents hadn't skyrocketed quite so high.